New Wear Bridge name: Crossing will celebrate Sunderland’s history and heritage

Sunderland’s stunning new Wear Crossing is going back to the future after hundreds of people had their say on the first stage of its naming.

We joined forces with Sunderland City Council to offer people the chance to choose what theme the eventual name should take.

There were four options to choose from:

•History and heritage – should the name of the bridge reflect our past achievements?

•Features, appearance or location – should the name reference the bridge’s striking design or height? Should it include the name of our city? Should it reference our river and coastline?

•Forward thinking/aspirational – should the name reflect our plans and hopes for the future, the pride of residents and our innovative approach?

•Those taking part could also offer their own suggestions, with a short explanation.

Almost 1,000 people took part in the poll, and the result was never really in doubt. History and heritage was the runaway winner, racking up almost as many votes as the other three categories put together, with 45% of the vote.

Forward thinking/aspirational was the only category to give history and heritage a run for its money, with a 24% share of the vote.

The other two categories could not break the 20% mark.

Now, council bosses will put their thinking caps on and come up with a shortlist of names around history and heritage ahead of phase 2 of the consultation, which will take place in the summer.

City council leader Coun Paul Watson said: “The new bridge will have far-reaching benefits for the city and the wider region.

“I’m excited about the possibilities it will bring to Sunderland, and also finding out what people think it should be called.

“The people of Sunderland have been very supportive during the construction process, and it’s vital we include as many people as possible when choosing a name.”